Fan Fiction ❯ Fate of the Fires ❯ Dragon Rising ( Chapter 13 )

Fate of the Fires

Part XIII: Dragon Rising

Lady Mars

AN: Ok... Since it seems most of my readers are elvishly challenged, I'm going to explain the "horrible" pun. It's not so much a pun as it is foreshadowing, but it gave me a good excuse to beat on Legolas, so it works. Ok, now Thaurer isn't an elvish word. Its base, Thaur, is. Thaur is abominable in elvish.
LEGOALS: * Snorts. * Fits him perfectly.

Now on the other hand, Niasa is an alliance or friend.
LEGOLAS: Some combination they make…

That they do… Now that all is clear, on with the story!

* * *

Legolas sat at his desk, quietly reading over his journal. His clean handwriting had been deteriorating over the last couple of pages, but that was understandable. He was at the point in his life where everything had begun to fall apart. The circle of dogs behind him had been listening intently as he read the journal out loud to them. There was something about his melodic voice that kept the beasts captivated.

"I really should have seen this coming," Legolas read. "I really should. You would think that the bodies of Karnil, Thalion, and Belthil would have proven what was going to come, but I just didn't see it. Something drove me to the palace. Whether it was fear or some other force driving me there, but I still went anyway. I could have never prepared myself for what I saw. He was barely alive when I got there, but he was alive nonetheless. He told me to go, but something drove me to stay. The last thing he told me was to run, run and never return. It pains me more now than the moment he died, despite the fact that he wasn't the first member of my family to die in that fashion. The only thing that pulled me out of my ravine was the last thing I ever expected to see. The beast sat quietly, almost staring at me vacantly. The only thing I could do at the time was stare back." He turned the page. "You can come in, I won't bite."

"I TOLD YOU! YOU WERE BREATHING TOO LOUD PIPPIN!" Merry shouted.

"I WAS NOT!" Pippin shouted back. Legolas chuckled quietly.

"In all actuality," the elf started. "It wasn't Pippin that set me off onto you're 'hiding' place."

"It wasn't?" The two hobbits replied simultaneously. Legolas chuckled at them again.

"Actually, it was the fact that Orden has been staring at the door pretty intently for the last twenty minutes that set me off to something being up." Frodo poked his head into the room.

"Are you serious?" He asked. Legolas shrugged.

"Not really. I knew you were there from the start, but I thought I would be fun to mess with you a bit."

"Messing with people? I thought that was a joint product of both of our twisted minds." Legolas chuckled when Aragorn approached the door.

"Actually, I thought that was a joint result of the two of us and your brothers."

"You really think they had enough of a hand in our escapades?" Aragorn asked, sitting on Legolas' bed.

"In a word: Gorfindel."

"Oh… yes, I forgot about that."

"Forgot about what?" Pippin asked, climbing onto the bed next to Aragorn.
"I don't like being left out," Merry added. "What's going on?" Legolas turned a few sections back in his journal before turning back to the group of spectators who had accumulated on his bed.

"I hate to admit this," Legolas read. "But I think I've become quiet a bit of a terror. It's barely been a month since I have been acquainted with young Estel, but I can truly see the traits of his family showing through. I am impatiently waiting for one of the many members of Elrond's staff to enter my chambers and throw me, along with his three sons, out of the palace. Our little foursome has been more than our fair share of trouble, especially for the rather gullible, always accessible, Lord Gorfindel. Now how he became our resident scapegoat is beyond me. I guess we all found him easy to pick on. Now Elrond swears that there is something going around in the water because it seems that everyone has been acting rambunctious around the palace lately. But that is really beside the point right now. I believe it was general insanity that drove the four of us to picking on him and survival instincts when he started picking back. It started at lunch; Elladan had been wound up, for some odd reason, and had started a food fight out of the blue. He blind-sided Gorfindel with something, I didn't catch what it was, nor did I want to know. Now Gorfindel could have done the noble thing and let it go, but no he had to do the child like thing and attacked him back. But Elladan saw the attack coming and ducked. Unfortunately, being of the attentive nature that he is, Elrohir didn't. Now Elrohir could have done the honorable thing and let it go; wait, this is Elrohir I'm talking about, he doesn't do much that can be considered honorable and this wasn't one of those times. Being the genius that he is, he launched his own attack. Gorfindel wised up on the tactics and ducked himself, making Estel open for his older brother's attack. It should have ended there, but did it? No, never would any member of the house of Elrond let a battle go unfinished. He launched the return volley at Elrohir who, by the cursed luck of MY family, moved out if it's path. The offensive matter connected with the left side of my face and left a nasty sting in my eyes. It took me a few moments, but I decided better than to do it, mostly because I was seated next to Lord Elrond and it wouldn't have thought to well of me if I had. But that didn't stop Gorfindel from continuing the assault. I did the only thing I could; I ducked under the table and hoped for the best. When I came out again, Elrond was fuming and the hall was a mess." Aragorn chuckled. "What?"

"I could have sworn that you were caught in the cross fire more than that."

"I did, I just ducked before it got too heavy."

"Oh… That would make sense."

"You seriously did this?" Frodo asked. The hobbit couldn't see the ranger he knew ever being rambunctious.
"Oh yes," he replied. "The four of us were quite the terrors."

"Four?" Legolas questioned.

"Don't give me that! You know you were the mastermind behind half of those plots."

"I know of no such thing!" Legolas tried to suppress his laughter.

"You are a terrible liar." Legolas finally burst into laughter. Aragorn tried to repress his at the same time.

"What did you to do?" Pippin asked. Aragorn let out a roll of laughter.
"Anything and everything my hobbit friend."

"REALLY?"

"Oh yes," Legolas replied. "Tainted food, set traps, chased people, if we could figure a way to execute it, we would."

"You forgot about tainting hair."

"Tainting hair?" Sam asked.

"I believe the elf can explain this one better than I, CAN'T YOU?" Legolas grinned at him.

"I SUPPOSE I could…"

"LEGOLAS…"

"Ok, ok. No reason to get defensive." He sighed. "It wasn't one of my better days. The trio had been tormenting me for a few hours and I was trying to find a quiet place to think. I had most recently had a nice run in with some sort of flying red fruit. I had been set up and was looking for a method of revenge. Or, more properly, a quiet spot to plot out my method of revenge. I had spent the better part of an hour wandering around the palace when I ran into Elrond. I told him my predicament and his face lit up. Now, to this day, I still have no idea why he seemed so excited to help me."

"Excited to help you?" Aragorn asked.

"Yes. I thought he had been smoking something, but that is beside the point."

"It is?"

"IT IS. Anyway, Lord Elrond handed me this vial and told me to dump it into their bath water and it would do the trick. Something in the back of my head wondered what it was, but I brushed it aside because I had come up with a plan by sheer accident. I did as I was told and then spent the rest of the afternoon in the gardens. Later, I went to dinner and found the only one present was Lord Elrond; the others hadn't arrived yet. It didn't take long for them to arrive; the first one through the door was Aragorn. When he entered, I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my head and I was going to die of laughter. His hair was the most putrid shape of fuchsia I had ever seen. It was hilarious! Now Elrond kept his almost solemn nature up, almost. He lost it when Elladan and Elrohir shouted "OH MY GOD! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR!" The pair walked into the dining room and shouted again when they saw Estel. They all turned to look at me and bellowed, "ARE YOU BEHIND THIS?" I was laughing so hard I couldn't get an answer out. Elrond answered for me fortunately. "One should not mess with an elf with connections." By that time, I was almost hyperventilating. Needless to say, that trio never tried any more stunts on me."

"That's mostly because we had no idea what else Ada was packing. He could have done almost anything to us."

"Ah. That makes sense. He could have beaten you into the ground."

"That he could have." Aragorn would have continued, but a servant had entered the room.

"The Lord requests your presence," she said.

"Me?" Legolas asked. The servant nodded and left the room. "I wonder what he could want me for." Aragorn shrugged and watched the elf exit the room. 'I can't help but wonder myself.'

* * *

Legolas slowly approached the looming doors. 'I wonder what he wants me for. Maybe he wants to finish that 'talk' we were having.' He slowly pulled the door open and entered.

"I told you this thing is a MENACE!" One voice echoed through the room.

"I know," Elrond replied. "But we can't do anything without know what it wants."

"But it poses a danger to our lands!" Another voice shouted.

"I KNOW THAT! But there isn't anything I can do at this exact MOMENT!"

"I KNOW THAT! But WE came here for HELP!"

"I KNOW. NO ONE HERE HAS BATTLED A DRAKE FOR CENTUIRES!"

"A drake?" Legolas questioned. The elf lord looked up as he approached the desk. "What drake?" The twins looked up from their seats at the blonde.

"There's a drake flying around Rohan," Elrohir mumbled. Legolas blanched.

"A drake… Flying around Rohan…" He shifted nervously. "How does it fly?"

"How does it FLY?" Elrohir blurted. Legolas sighed.

"I MEAN does it have a pattern to its flight?"

"Oh. I'm not sure.."

"It does," Elladan interjected. "It rises and sets with the sun." Legolas froze. 'Well, I'm in for it now,' he thought. "I've never seen a drake fly in that pattern before, but it has been ages since anyone in this area has SEEN a drake at all." Legolas pondered his situation before taking action.

"I don't know what to tell you, " the prince started. "I personally have never dealt with a drake ever. I don't know what you should do, but whatever it is, you should do it quick." Elrond arced a long eyebrow at the prince; he was acting strange, but he couldn't figure out why. "I'm glad to see the two of you again, but I really must be off." And with that, he left the room in a rush.

"What was that about?" Elrohir asked.

"I'm not sure," Elrond replied. "But I will find out soon enough."

* * *

Legolas finished securing his quiver as he rushed down the palace halls. He had raced to his room, gathered his weapons and his dogs, and was on his way to the stables. 'If this is really what I think it is, I've got to hurry before they attack the thing!' He mounted Arod and shot out of the stables, the dogs close behind him.

* * *

Legolas thundered across the plains of Rohan. It had taken him over a week to get here, but he had finally made it. He scanned the area, looking for the looming form of the drake. He slowly dismounted and began to wander around. 'How can I NOT be able to find this thing? It's a drake!' He continued to walk for a while longer until a large shadow loomed over his head. He watched in amazement as the large orange-yellow dragon circled and then landed a few feet in front of him. The beast had three horns on his head, each one hooked to the next by a membrane of yellow and orange. The wings were the same colour. His long black talons glinted in the sun as it landed. He took a few steps back from the beast; its muzzle alone loomed three feet over his head. The drake stared down its nose with piercing green eyes at the elf.

"So you are the one who has awoken me from my slumber?" the beast boomed.

"I guess so," Legolas replied shakily. The dragon snorted. Legolas wasn't too comfortable with the thought of being near the thing; it was too large for his liking.

"Do you have any idea why you're here?"

"Aside from the fact that I'm trying to prevent death, no."

"People of Rohan again, eh? They never give up."

"What?"

"They've been trying to get rid of me for centuries. It's people like you that stop me from hurting them. But that's all beside the point." Legolas sighed; the creature was talking him in circles. "Do you have any idea why you're here?"

"No sir, I don't," Legolas replied shakily.

"Are you scared boy?" Legolas thought for a moment.

"Unbelievably so sir." The dragon laughed heartily at him. "Why do you find humor in my TERROR?"

"Because young one, you are the FIRST to admit to their terror." Legolas was dumbfounded.

"The first? You mean to tell me you've done this BEFORE?"

"Oh heavens yes. I've been doing this since fire-callers came about." Legolas' jaw dropped.

"You have got to be KIDDING ME!"

"Do you really think a beast with fangs as long as you are tall would kid about something like this?"

"No."

"You answered your own question then."

"I guess I did, but why am I here?"

"It is fire-caller tradition. All of the apprentices get a visit from me before they are officially known as a fire-caller."

"That would explain a lot."

"You're mater didn't explain the 'ritual' to you?" Legolas averted his eyes.

"She didn't make it." He bit his lip, trying not to cry at the thought.

"Oh… That would make you Adhil's boy then, wouldn't it?" The elf's head snapped back to the drake.

"How did you…?"

"It's hard not to keep track of a girl like her. There was something different about her; I could tell the moment I laid eyes on her. You too boy." Legolas stared at him, a bit confused. "I can not tell you what it is right now, but there is something about you that draws power to you. You are different from the others, much different." The drake's tone had turned solemn. "There is something about your presence that is unnerving. No it is not a bad unnerving, it is more of a feeling of greatness. I know you are destined to be something of unimaginable power. Be careful because others are out to usurp that power from you."

"But how do you know all of this?"

"That is my secret, my dear boy."

"Oh."

"There is one more thing before we part ways."

"What?"

"You must return home and find it."

"Find what?"

"A relic of your father's."

"Why?"

"Do not question too much, just do it." And with that, the orange drake launched itself into the air and flew out of sight. Legolas slowly walked back to Arod and mounted him. He took one last look at the sunset before riding off in the direction of Mirkwood.

* * *

Legolas stood at the edge of the palace ruins; it was all too familiar to him. The area hadn't change in the months that he had been gone; it still looked like it had just happened. He took a deep breath to contain his emotions and started to wade into the rubble. After a few hours of rummaging the elf hefted an object from the ash. The blade was dull and had lost its luster, but nonetheless, Legolas recognized it. He brushed a few errant locks of hair out of his face as he stared at the blade. 'Uuranor, flame of my family.I thought you would never rise again.' He carried the blade back to where Arod stood. He took one last look at the rubble before mounting the horse and riding off again. 'I shall uphold the might of our forefathers. I shall not let you down my father; not now, not ever.'

* * *